Baxter - HP BV4647 .S4 B39 1660

opinions and Parties) a fab,, &c. for it : Itseafie to go, where fin and Satan drives ; and to be zealous where zeal bath fo fmall refinance: and to fwim down the Bream of corrupted nature. But it is not fo eafie to be zealous in thepraaical faving entertainment of the truth, and exercifing that faith and love to God and holy obedience which truth is fent to work in us. A fchifmatical or Opi- nionative ufe of truth it felf, is but an tiling it for fell' againft the God of truth : and it is no more wonder to feemen zealous in this, then to fee men forwardandhot in any evil : We can- not tell how to quench or reftrain this felfifh carnal kind of zeal. But when men should ufe the truth for God, and their falvation againft Satan, and fin, and felf, then its hard to make them zealous : They are like green wood or wet fuel on the fire, that will not burn without much blowing, and foon goeth out whenit feemed to be kindled, if onceyouleave it to it felf : Po/fpolce not non-fenfe when he faid [Forge are yet Carnal : for itherefu there is among,you envying, andftrife, and divilions, areye not carnal, andwalk as men ? For while one faith, . I am. of Paul, and another, I am of Apollo, are ye not Carnal? 1, Cor.,:3. 3, 4, 5. How fecretly foever it may lurk, there_ s doubtlefs,mucli of/Wand ,fiefh in Herefies and unjuft Divifions. I know that moil ofthem little perceive it. lames and john in their zeal, which would have called for fire from heaven, did not know what fpirit they were of. But God would not have. fpokeit, ifit were not true. Rom. 16. 17. [Now. Ibefiech yoii brethren, mark them which _caufe IJivifiasts and offences contrary to the doarine which ye have learned, and avoid them; For they that arefuchferve not our LordYelp's Chrifi but their own belly, and by good work and- fair fpeecbes deceive the heart ofthefimple] Though they little believe that there is any filch wickednefs in them as this, yet the Spirit, of. God, that is the fearchei of hearts is acquainted with it : and affuretla us that both at the bosom, and the End, Church-dividing courfes have a carnal felfifh nature : It is {bale fecret int.erelt of felf, (though fcarce difcerned) that kindleth thezeal, and carriethon the work : It is not God that is fervedby the divi- fions of his Church. Many Seas now among us, do put a face of Troth andZeal upon their caufe : But felf is die more 3 dange- 173

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=